and then the Barney attack

I saw the clip of Bush's dog Barney biting the reporter. The guy took the dog by surprise in a act of aggression. The guy didn't let the dog see his hand comming, keep it low and let the dog sniff it a bit. Going over the head from the side startles dogs. Some flinch, some bite. Over the head, around the neck is where dogs attack. Barney was defending himself. But you don't mess around with terriers. There's a lot to know about animals. It's always human error of some sort. Either people create the problem or don't respond correctly to problems. Animals just act out their nature. There's a lot of choices and combinations of behaivors, but they're all natural to the type. And then after the dog sees your hand and accepts you, keep the hand low, don't go over the top of the head until the dog's secure. Scratch his chin or chest a minute. I knew a dog who'd let you pet him anywhere. Except his ears. He'd bit if you touched them. Snauser*sp*. Another tough little dog. I'd rather have the standard.